Field
The disclosed concept pertains generally to electrical enclosures and, more particularly to electrical enclosures, such as for example, panelboards. The disclosed concept also pertains to switchgear assemblies for panelboards. The disclosed concept further pertains to stab assemblies for switchgear assemblies.
Background Information
Electrical apparatus, such as electrical switching apparatus or electrical meters used in power distribution systems, are often mounted on or within an electrical enclosure (e.g., without limitation, a panelboard; a load center; a meter breaker panel) either individually or in combination with other electrical meters or switchgear (e.g., without limitation, circuit switching devices and circuit interrupters such as circuit breakers, contactors, motor starters, motor controllers and other load controllers). The electrical enclosure is typically coupled to and supported by a structure such as, for example, a wall of a building, and includes a number of electrical bus members.
Residential panelboards, for example, include a number of electrical bus members having a plurality of elongated bus stabs extending outwardly therefrom. Typically, a plurality of circuit breakers or other suitable electrical switching apparatus are mechanically coupled and electrically connected to the elongated bus stabs and, in turn, to the electrical bus members within the electrical enclosure. Known methods of mechanically coupling such electrical switching apparatus to the elongated bus stabs include employing springs that allow the electrical switching apparatus to plug-on (e.g., attach or connect without requiring a separate fastener) to the corresponding elongated bus stab. However, such panelboards are undesirably limited in their capability. More specifically, these panelboards are not equipped to accommodate electrical switching apparatus that rely on a bolt-on connection.
Similarly, panelboards for commercial applications are undesirably limited in their capability. Typically, these panelboards include a plurality of circuit breakers that are bolted to corresponding bus bars. For example, the panelboards include a corresponding line terminal for each electrical switching apparatus, and a bolt that bolts the line terminal to the bus bar. However, these panelboards are not equipped to accommodate electrical switching apparatus that rely on a plug-on connection, as discussed above.
There is, therefore, room for improvement in panelboards, and in switchgear assemblies and stab assemblies therefor.